Police Technology

1997 Filing System
As recently as November 1997, technology was sparsely employed within the department. Police Officers and Records Technicians were still using typewriters to complete police reports, index cards were in wide use to track the various locations and status of those reports, and many supplemental forms were still being handwritten.

Informational Sharing & Aid
During 1997, the leaders of local law enforcement agencies joined together in a spirit of cooperation that is rarely seen in communities anywhere in the nation. This cooperative effort has taken local law enforcement into an age of information-sharing and mutual aid that benefits the citizens of Tippecanoe County in countless ways.

Mobile Field Reporting
During early 2002, LPD officers were trained in Mobile Field Reporting (MFR), another component of the OSSI software package. This component complements the "digital dispatch" functions of the MCT by allowing officers to do their police reports from their vehicles. During the report process they have full access to the RMS database to use existing names, vehicles, etc from that database eliminating the need to re-enter the information for each individual report. Upon completion of the report by the reporting officer, the officer electronically submits his case to his shift supervisor. The supervisor can review case reports from his own vehicle or from inside LPD. If the supervisor determines that the report is complete, the supervisor "approves" the report, which then causes the case to be submitted to RMS. If there is a problem with the report, the supervisor can "deny" the report, which causes the case to be sent back to the original reporting officer. That officer then has access to the notes from the supervisor about any problems with the report and the report can be corrected and re-submitted.